If Trump doesn’t declare martial law, the South Dakota Legislature will be busy next week clearing all bills and resolutions from first committees. Every bill must be out of committee by Friday, February 22 for consideration by their chamber of origin by Monday, February 25.
And if democracy survives Trump’s pen, the Legislature will have the chance to let us decide whether to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. House Joint Resolution 1007 would submit to the voters the addition of language extending Medicaid coverage to individuals making between 100% and 138% of the poverty level:
The minimum income standard the Department of Social Services may impose on a person for eligibility for the medical assistance program established and operated pursuant to § 28-6-1 and in accordance with Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act, as amended to January 1, 14, 2004, is one hundred thirty-eight percent of the federal poverty level established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Pub. L. No. 111-148, 124 Stat. 119 (2010), as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-152, 124 Stat.1029 [2019 HJR 1007, as filed 2019.01.30].
Minority Leader Jamie Smith (D-15/Sioux Falls) brought this resolution. Everyone in the Democratic caucus except for Senator Kennedy is co-sponsoring, as are three Republicans (Reps. Schoenfish, St. John, and York). Smith’s measure would place Medicaid expansion on the November 2020 ballot. I wish Rep. Smith could push for a special election, because why should we wait over two more years to decide this issue and start reaping the benefits of Medicaid expansion? But alas, he’s not G. Mark Mickelson, so he probably doesn’t dare push for the state to spend extra money on a special election.
HJR 1007 is sitting in House State Affairs, which is hoping to clear twelve bills and one resolution in two meetings on Wednesday before it can even get to HJR 1007 on Friday.
This four-day weekend (for legislators) is an excellent opportunity for those of your interested in humanity, health care, and good fiscal sense to contact members of House State Affairs and tell them to put Medicaid expansion to a vote of the people. Medicaid expansion is paying for itself in Montana; it’ll have similar good results in South Dakota.
Plus, HJR 1007 gives Republicans cover: voting yes on HJR 1007 doesn’t mean you support ObamaCare; it just means you support letting the people of South Dakota have the final say. And boy oh boy, if you’re a Republican, you should leap at the chance to put ObamaCare on the ballot in 2020 so you can all run against Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton instead of trying to defend your incompetent tyrant incumbent (assuming he allows us to have another election).
Why is the SDGOP so opposed to expanded Medicaid? I mean really, not political doublespeak. Is it because it originated with the black guy? Because they like to watch less wealthy people suffer? Because Kochs/NRA/Pootie said No? Because Big Health [Don’t] Care and Big Pharma and Big Insurance said No?
(I don’t really think the SDGOP likes to make people suffer, which they do without decent health care. There are probably a few in the SDGOP who just don’t care.)
Have you seen where the state legislature in Utah has now come down with a mild case of “IM22 Repealitist,” when it comes to ObamaCare?
https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2019/02/04/utah-senate-readies-its/
And apparently, others states like Idaho are showing the same symptoms:
http://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/gov-medicaid-expansion-republicans-states-voters.html
Something tells me, that this “itist” still exists in South Dakota too. Most likely having this disease and surviving it is not the longterm cure, unfortunately.
I, for one, predict this is a dead law bill walking.
I think you meant to say “individuals with income under 138% of poverty level”, rather than “individuals making between 100% and 138% of the poverty level.”
The voters wouldn’t have passed it if they had factual information told to them in those States.
Like the fact that it wold cost the State money that will not be reimbursed from the Federal Government.
I haven’t looked at the numbers, but this “State money” that Jason is concerned about is most likely already being spent in our State, except that the counties and the hospitals, and indirectly, paying patients, are already picking up the tab. At least with the expansion of Medicaid under ObamaCare, we will all be in the mix together and relieving a burden for the counties and hospitals which struggle to stay open, which in turn, will reduce costs for paying patients as well.
Check my verb, Cathy: I say HJR 1007 would give us the chance to vote on extending coverage to that income segment.
Jason ignores the facts again. I’ve cited evidence from state after state after states showing that Medicaid expansion is at least budget neutral if not a boon to the budget. Plus states that haven’t expanded Medicaid have seen higher rates of rural hospital closures We’ve already passed on the higher match the feds were offering, but even when the program reaches the final 90% fed share, the feds don’t have to reimburse us for the remaining 10%; that’s the small investment we pay to enjoy the economic and health benefits that will accrue.
Jason keeps getting hit with fact after fact, and he keeps pretending that he can wish them away with his one-liners.
But let’s have it out. Let’s put HJR 1007 on the ballot. Let’s have KSFY host a debate at the Brown County Fair, Jason and me. We can open for Three Doors Down. Grandstand entertainment at its finest.
Let’s get this straight about current eligibility. Many people think folks under 100% are covered, but it ain’t so. Besides the 100-138% group, Medicaid expansion would also cover thousands of South Dakotans below 100% of poverty level. They are parents with children at home and earnings just too much to qualify for the LIF program. And they are other non-pregnant, non-disabled adults, ages 19-64, whose incomes are zero and up. Well actually, some are disabled but still applying for disability or approved but their medical coverage hasn’t started yet. South Dakota sure needs Medicaid expansion.
The only SD Republican answer to why they won’t expand Medicaid is, “Small government is the best government.” It’s time for voters to realize that legislators in Pierre doing virtually nothing (every session) and calling it a victory for “small government” is really just a group with no new ideas being lazy, eating free oysters, drinking grudznick’s free booze and flirting while they’re away from home.